1. Field of the Invention
This application is related to computer systems and more particularly to power management techniques in computer systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Power consumption and associated performance and thermal issues are considerations for every computer system design. Many power saving techniques have been introduced to save power and mitigate the impact of thermal and battery power constraints. Mobile applications that are battery powered are particularly sensitive to power considerations. While power consumption issues are most important for battery powered systems, power consumption issues are also important for all types of computer systems. For example, while battery life may not be a consideration for desktop computers, thermal considerations are still an important criteria. In particular, for desktop computers, the hotter they run, the more likely fans are turned on to try and cool the system, which results in fan noise or frequent cycling of the fans, which may be objectionable to the computer user. In addition, saving power can have real economic benefits in terms of reduced electricity costs. Further, reduced power consumption and lower operating temperatures can improve system reliability. Reduced power consumption and lower operating temperatures can also allow for higher density server farms.
In order to continue to improve power management capabilities, it would be desirable to provide flexible power management techniques that exploit evolving capabilities in computer systems.